Countdown for international marathon starts

ISTANBUL

The countdown for the third Maratonİzmir, an international marathon held in the western province of İzmir, has started, with officials making final preparations for the launch of the three-day event.

“This year’s marathon will be held on the theme ‘sustainability,’ which is one of the United Nations’ priorities,” İzmir Municipality’s Sports Department Head Hakan Orkunbilge told Demirören News Agency.

As part of the three-day event, concerts, social activities and conferences will be held in the city’s urban park, Kültürpark, between April 14 and 17.

On the final day, early on April 17, two marathons will start from the Konak district: A 42-kilometer-long race for athletes and a 10-kilometer-long race for the general public.

The first Maratonİzmir was won by Kenyan athlete Sang Benard Cherijiyot, while Ethiopian Tsegaye Getachew bagged the gold medal in last year’s marathon.

Pointing out this year’s theme of “sustainability,” Orkunbilge noted, “The municipality has actualized many projects on promoting agriculture, cleaning the seas, presenting social services and preventing inequalities in sports and cultural activities, which is especially one of the 17 items the United Nations lead.”

“We aim to see Maratonİzmir in the list of the world’s leading marathons in the future,” Tunç Soyer, the city mayor, said on the organization’s official website.

The cut-off time of the 42-kilometer marathon is six hours, while it is two hours for the general-public marathon.